Jay-Z and Fanatics bought Mitchell & Ness

Mitchell & Ness, the historic sportswear brand from Philadelphia, has been taken over by a consortium formed among others by the online store Fanatics and rappers Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Lil Baby. The operation, whose terms have not yet been disclosed, aims to bring Mitchell & Ness back to its former glory. After being founded in 1904 by Frank Mitchell and Charles Ness as a racquet store, it became famous by creating custom golf clubs and custom jerseys for local baseball and football teams. The business grew so large that since 1985 Mitchell & Ness has been making perfect replicas of sports items from past eras, meeting the approval of many fans of memorabilia and the heritage of U.S. sports franchises and beyond. 

Now this tradition and expertise will pass under the control of Jay-Z and Fanatics, who will still retain the current CEO Kevin Wulff, and let Mitchell & Ness operate as a separate brand in the commercial division of Fanatics. The new owners will be primarily concerned with strengthening the brand, through new communication and promotional channels, and ensuring greater production strength in a market, that of nostalgia and replicas, which is becoming increasingly strong.